Adorable Story #20: Ben Gazzara

“I don’t think they make actors like Ben anymore” — Peter Bogdanovich

Legendary US actor Ben Gazzara and his wife, Elke, relaxing with a drink on the island of Capri, Italy, in September 1989 — © Slim Aarons / Gettyimages

Ben Gazzara, born Biagio Anthony Gazzara on August 28, 1930, in New York City, was an American actor and director known for his roles in both film and television. Gazzara enjoyed a career that spanned over six decades and was known for his versatility, charisma, and wit.

Early Life and Career

Gazzara was born in Manhattan, to Italian immigrants of Sicilian descends, Antonio Gazzara and Angela Cusumano Gazzara. His father, who died when Ben was a child, was a roofer and carpenter, and never learnt English, as Sicilian was the language spoken at home.

Ben grew up in a very modest home in the Lower East Side.

"I wouldn't call it poverty, but it was a constant struggle. There was no steam heat & once in a while my mother would say she wasn't hungry, because there wasn't enough food for everybody."

Despite these hardships, Gazzara looked back fondly on his childhood:

"I remember my childhood with great warmth, because our block was a real community. It was like a small town, half Irish and half Italian. There was animosity between the two groups, but there was also respect. And you were watched all the time. You were taken care of by surrogate fathers and surrogate mothers, the people who lived on the block, who made sure you kept your nose clean."

Across the street from his tenement flat was the Madison Square Boys’ Club, the organization that shaped his future.

Gazzara remembered his first experience on the stage at 12 years old: